Battery container



BATTERY CONTAINER July 26, 1955 Filed June 2, 1950 INVENTORS: EDWARD E REPKING, CLIFFORD D. FALLERT, WALTER C. GEORGE) ATTORNEYS BATTERY CGNTAINER Edward F. Repking, Clifiord D. Fallert, and Walter C. George, St. Louis, Mo, assignors to Gayiord Container Corporation, St. Louis, Me, a corporation of Maryland Application June 2, 1 .950, Serial No. 165,766

2 Claims. (Cl. 229-43) This invention relates to improvements in containers generally, and more especially tothose used for packaging batteries, for shipment and storage and for otherwise maintaining them in a clean and serviceable condition until they are to be used.

Such batteries are so constructed that they have projections extending upwardly beyond the top surface of the battery, and one of said proiections, usually the terminal post, extends higher than the others, and as such posts are made of a relatively soft material such as lead, they are in danger of being easily broken or bent, or otherwise distorted or damaged before they reach the consumer.

This damage is not an uncommon occurrence, when it is remembered that it is usual when loading said batteries for shipment, to place them vertically one on top of the other, or stack them, so as to build up a considerable weight upon the lowermost battery, and a similar stacking of batteries one on top of the other is also done when storing them on dealers shelves or in other places, or for Warehousing, in order to make most efficient use or" available space.

One of the principal objects of our invention is to so construct such a container that the terminal posts will be protected even when the batteries are loaded one above the other in vertical stacking.

Another object of the invention is to so construct such a container that it is provided with an upstanding rib that will be sufliciently strong to transmit the vertical stress or thrust from the load above the battery directly to the top of the case walls, and thereby by-pass the terminal post of the battery.

A further object of the invention is to construct a container of the kind described that will have a maximum of strength while using a minimum amount of paperboard.

An added object of our invention is to provide a container of the kind described from a single blank of material so as to simplify the manufacture of the same.

A still further object of our invention is to so construct said containers that they may be assembled readily, rapidly and economically and are adaptable for assembly line battery production.

The invention has among its other objects, the production of a device of the kind described, that will be relative- 1y simple, compact, sturdy, economical in its construction and use, and which will be otherwise satisfactory and eflicient for use wherever deemed applicable.

Many other objects and advantages of the construction herein shown and described will be obvious to those skilled in the art to which this invention appertains, from the disclosures herein given.

To this end our invention consists of the novel construction, arrangement, and combination of parts herein shown and described, as will be more clearly pointed out in the following specification.

In the drawings wherein like reference characters represent like or corresponding parts throughout the views,

Fig. l is a top plan view illustrating the blank from which the box is formed;

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the box formed from said blank, as it appears ready to receive a battery;

Figs. 3, 4 and 5 illustrate in perspective, the progressive steps of closing said box;

Fig. 6 is a cross-sectional detail, taken substantially along the line 66 of Fig. 5 and Fig. 7 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the box, taken substantially along the line 77 in Fig. 5, and showing a battery within the same.

In the drawings, wherein we have illustrated preferred embodiments of our invention, there is shown a relatively heavy article such as a storage battery A, the latter having some relatively delicate pants that must be protected during shipment, storage, and handling. Such batteries have an enclosing casing with upright side walls 1, and usually have several projections extending upwardly above the topmost surface 2 of the battery, one such projection being the filling cap 3, and the others being the connector and terminal posts 4, one or both of which may extend higher than the filler cap projection.

This terminal post is usually made of a relatively soft or weak material, such as lead, and is easily bent, broken, distorted or otherwise damaged when a heavy weight or load is on the same. Our container is especially adapted to protect this post. 7

Our novel container is preferably made of a single blank or sheet of paperboard of suitable strength, and is provided with the requisite score or fold lines to facilitate bending it into the forms shown.

' This container comprises pairs ofopposed vertical side walls 5 and 6, and opposed vertical end walls 7 and 8, of sufficient height to extend from the bottom of the battery to a point above the uppermost endof the terminal post, saidwalls having flaps depending from the top edges thereof.

Flaps 9 and 10 are foldably connected to and along the top edges of the upright side walls 5 and 6 respectively, there being a reentrant fold at each of said junctures, with a downwardly extending portion 11 and thence an upwardly extending portion 12 along said fold to provide a vertical rib 13 therealong, said rib having a groove or slot 14 opening along the top thereof. This rib engages the top edge of the battery case A, and extends above the terminal post 4 thereon.

It is obvious that after the container has been placed upon a battery, a downward force on the rib will be transmitted entirely above the highest point of the terminal post to the top edges of the side walls of the battery, and will by-pass and be free of engagement with said terminal post. The flaps 9 and 10 may be of approximately one-half the width of the battery across the top of the latter so that when said flaps are in edgewise abutting relation as indicated in Figs. 4 and 7, the ribs will be retained in an approximately vertical position. A securing tab 15 may be foldably adjoined along the free edge of the end wall 7 to be folded onto and secured to the adjacent outer surface of the side wall 5 to retain the shell in its set up shape. If desired, the securing tab 15 can be omitted and the end wall 7 and side wall 5 can be secured together by tape or other suitable means. Flaps 16 and 17 are foldably connected to the upright walls 7 and 8 respectively, of the container, so as to be superimposed onto the pair of fiaps 9 and 10, as seen most clearly in Figs. 3, 4, 5 and 7.

Any manner of securement of the flaps to hold them in superimposed relation may be used, as for example, by applying adhesive to the underside of the topmost flaps 16 and 17 of the container.

It is to be especially noted that the height of the ribs is sufiicient to provide a clearance of at least one half inch between the terminal posts and the cover member so that even when a heavy load is superimposed on the lowermost battery of a stack, the downward force or thrust from such load will clear the terminal post and will be transmitted directly to the top of the casing walls of the battery; and it is to be remembered that these loads are not inconsiderable, inasmuch as a load of five hundred pounds to a stack is frequently encountered.

The flaps 16 and 17 which are foldably connected to the opposed end walls 7 and 8 respectively are of such length that they meet intermediate said opposed end walls, and each of said flaps 16 and 17 is provided with a pair of tab portions 18 foldably connected to the side edges thereof, which tabs 18 are adapted to be inserted within the upwardly directed slots 14 of the reinforcing ribs 13, as shown most clearly in Figs. 4, 6 and 7. Any manner of securing may be employed for retaining the container in assembled form as by stitching, or the use of adhesive on the superimposed flaps.

Although the containers hereinbefore described are shown as without a bottom closure, such closures may be made in any suitable or preferred manner when so desired or needed.

What we claim is:

1. A container for storage batteries having fragile projections above the top edge of the battery case, said container comprising pairs of opposed side walls and end walls adapted to snugly enclose said battery case and extend above said battery projections, said side walls having integral flanges folded downwardly against the inner face thereof, thence reversely upwardly parallel to said side walls, forming U-shaped downwardly projecting load carrying ledges adapted to seat on the top edge of said battery case with the upper edges of the Walls of said U-shaped ledges substantially above said battery projections, said side wall flanges each having an integral extension extending from the upper edge of the inner wall of each of said U-shaped ledges, said extensions folded inwardly in edgewise abutting relation to form the innerply of the cover of the container and to maintain said U-shaped ledges in fiat-wise position against said side walls, said end walls having upper marginal flaps folded inwardly in edgewise abutting relation to form the outerply of the cover of the container, said end wall flaps having tabs thereon, said tabs being adapted to be inserted in the longitudinal slot in the open end of said U-shaped ledges.

2. A container for storage batteries having fragile projections above the top edge of the battery case, said container comprising pairs of opposed side walls and end walls adapted to snugly enclose said battery case and extend above said battery projections, said side walls having integral flanges folded downwardly against the inner face thereof, thence reversely upwardly parallel to said side walls forming U-shaped downwardly projecting loadcarrying ledges adapted to seat on the top edge of said battery case, said ledges being capable of supporting a top load of at least 500 pounds, the upper edges of the walls of said U-shaped ledges being substantially above said battery projections when said battery is enclosed by said container, said side wall flanges each having an integral extension extending from the upper edge of the inner wall of each of said U-shaped ledges folded inwardly, the free end edges thereof abutting substantially midway of the width of said container to form the inner ply of the cover, and to maintain said U-shaped ledges in flatwise position against said side walls, and said pair of end walls having integral flaps folded inwardly to form an outer cover ply, each of said end wall flaps having side edge tabs adapted to be inserted in the longitudinal slots in the open ends of said U-shaped ledges.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

